James Pirot, IREON, Cresa

Name: James Pirot

Title: Managing Principal, Project Management

Company Name: Cresa

What aspects of working from home did you enjoy most?
The ability to have multiple uninterrupted meetings has been an unexpected benefit of the pandemic. On any given day, I will have six or seven Zoom calls, managing projects around the country. If I were in the office, the back-to-back aspect of these meetings, most likely, would be interrupted by additional discussions with staff, often regarding less immediate initiatives.

What was the most challenging part of working during the pandemic?
The inability to physically meet with clients or be present at their offices, some of which were already under construction when the pandemic hit and the subsequent shutdown. Travel restrictions and the limitations of working within client spaces initially slowed the work, too. That, combined with mandates for workers who did have access to job sites, made processes related to what normally would be simple tasks more difficult.

What was your greatest professional accomplishment in 2020?
Navigating through the social distancing realities and succeeding via technology to be in spaces, vis-à-vis Zoom and Facetime. Remarkably, I have been able to view the progress of projects and deal with field conditions in real time, albeit remotely. 

What was your most notable project, deal, or transaction in 2020?
I have been able to complete the buildouts of five client projects, spanning New York to New Jersey and, even, Cleveland, including some I could not physically visit because of air travel restrictions. 

What are your predictions for commercial real estate in 2021?
Slow and steady will win the race! I believe we all realize that Q1 and part of Q2 will be slow. Perseverance is critical as businesses start to recover. If we properly pivot by reducing operating expenses and providing clients with up-to-date and accurate information on market recovery, we will be in front of what will be an extraordinary economic recovery for Q3 and Q4 2021, and into 2022.